• Solana, through its subsidiary Solana Mobile, has welcomed its flagship Web3 phone.
• While some say the product is a “Web3 iPhone,” others jibed the network for not focusing on its performance issues.

Solana Mobile, the mobile phone developing wing of Solana Labs, has introduced its very first Android phone, Saga, in New York. Different from conventional mobile phones, this device enables access to Web3, in addition to one’s digital assets.

Other than the Saga mobile, the Solana subsidiary has also developed the Solana Mobile Stack SDK (software development kit). The SDK allows developers to create mobile-based or mobile-supported features for Solana-based DApps. The tool also enables developers to install a “Secure Element,”  which together with the Seed Vault, separates private keys and seed phrases or secrets from the application layer. 

Solana announces new product, the Saga mobile phone

Solana Mobile Stack is now available for developer use, while Saga phone is available on a pre-order basis for $100. Deliveries will begin in early 2023, with the anticipated buying price set at $1,000 (pre-order cost will be deducted).

Solana Mobiles notes that it will prioritize initial orders to developers so that they can test the phone and its SDK. Those making pre-orders will receive the Saga phone’s flagship NFT, the Saga Pass. In a similar manner to governance tokens, the NFT will be useful in “influencing the direction of the SMS platform.” 

Saga has been designed and manufactured by OSOM, a top Android development firm that has worked with the likes of Google, Apple, and Intel. 

Regarding the choice of its name, Saga, Solana co-founder Raj Gokal said it reflects that “the story of crypto is still being written.” Meanwhile, co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko said Saga will cater to the growing smartphone and digital asset markets.

Twitter community reaction

Following the announcement, the Twitter community shared its different reactions to the phone. Those optimistic, like Vinny Lingham, called Saga a Web3 “iPhone moment,” thanking Yakovenko for its development. Similarly, David Ticzon called it the “Apple of Web3.”

Others, yet, took the chance to compare Solana’s development to that of Ethereum. Thesolmane said that while Solana was launching a Web3 phone, Ethereum has been short of “innovation in years.” Likewise, Nathanweb3 said Saga made Solana an even greater rival to Ethereum. In a thread, he explained that Solana’s developers were keen to learn from Ethereum’s weaknesses, using them to improve user experience.

Meanwhile, critics such as Metamaxie questioned why the network was leaning towards phone manufacturing, yet its reliability was in the woods. Recall that Solana has had five outages this year alone, occurrences which have hurt its token’s price.

Cardano’s Charles Hoskinson also sent his blow, saying rebooting the phone would require seven Discord friends. He was implying the network’s performance issues, saying they would likely be replicated on the phone.